Secondary battery devices

A secondary battery device 1 including multiple protective circuits U1-U3 connected in parallel and each having two fuses fa, fb connected in series, wherein a terminal tc of each heater h is connected to a switch element 4 via rectifier element D1-D3. Even if a potential difference is generated between terminals tc, no residual current flows because any one of the rectifier elements D1-D3 is reverse-biased.

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Description
CROSS-REFERENCE

This is a continuation application of PCT/JP03/15526, filed Dec. 4, 2003, which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of rechargeable/dischargeable secondary batteries, particularly to secondary batteries having a built-in protective circuit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Secondary batteries having a built-in protective circuit have been conventionally used for portable phones or portable personal computers. Thus, there are demands for safer protective circuits with increased charging capacity.

Reference 100 in FIG. 9 represents a battery device of the prior art comprising a chargeable/dischargeable accumulator 105, a switch element 104 and a control circuit 106.

The secondary battery device 100 further comprises a first and a second connection terminals 111, 112 between which can be connected an external circuit 110 consisting of a load or DC voltage source.

When the accumulator 105 has not been charged and an external circuit 110 consisting of a DC voltage source is connected between the first and second output terminals 111, 112, the accumulator 105 becomes charged by the external circuit 110.

Conversely, when the accumulator 105 has been charged and an external circuit 110 consisting of a load such as a portable computer is connected between the first and second output terminals 111, 112, a power is supplied to the external circuit 110 from the accumulator 105 because the first output terminal 111 supplies a positive voltage with respect to the second output terminal 112 that is at ground potential.

Reference U in FIG. 9 represents a protective circuit. This protective circuit U comprises a heater h and two fuses fa, fb as shown in FIG. 10.

The two fuses fa, fb are connected in series. The first output terminal 111 and the positive terminal of the accumulator 105 are connected to each other via the series circuit.

The heater h consists of a parallel circuit of two resistance heating elements ra, rb. One end of the heater h is connected to a junction P at which the two fuses fa, fb are connected to each other while the other end of the heater h is connected to the second output terminal 112 (and the negative terminal of the accumulator 105) via the switch element 104.

References ta, tb, tc in FIG. 10 represent terminals of the protective circuit U, among which references ta, tb represent both ends of the series circuit of the fuses fa, fb and correspond to a terminal connected to the positive terminal of the accumulator 105 and a terminal connected to the first output terminal 111, respectively.

Reference tc represents an end of the heater h and corresponds to a terminal connected to the switch element 104.

The switch element 104 is controlled by the control circuit 106. When a DC voltage source having an overrated output voltage is connected as the external circuit 110 between the first and second output terminals 111, 112, the control circuit 106 detects overvoltage between the first and second output terminals 111, 112 and turns on the switch element 104 so that the junction P is connected to the second output terminal 112 and the negative terminal of accumulator 105 via the heater h. As a result, a current supplied from the accumulator 105 and a current supplied from the external circuit 110 flow through the fuses fa, fb, respectively.

Both currents flow through the resistance heating elements ra, rb in the heater h, whereby they heat up.

The resistance heating elements ra, rb are located near the fuses fa, fb, respectively, and the fuses fa, fb are blown by the heat from the resistance heating elements ra, rb. The result is that both the current flowing from the external circuit 110 and the current discharged from the accumulator 105 are stopped.

If a short circuit occurs between the first and second output terminals 111, 112, however, the control circuit 106 does not operate and the switch element 104 remains off while the accumulator 105 becomes short-circuited at both ends and a short-circuit current is discharged from the accumulator 105.

The short-circuit current is very large because of the absence of resistance elements such as resistance heating elements ra, rb in the path through which the short-circuit current flows.

When the short-circuit current flows through the fuses fa, fb, at least one of them is blown by self-heating.

When one of the two fuses fa, fb connected in series is blown, the positive terminal of the accumulator 105 and the first output terminal 111 are disconnected and the short-circuit current stops.

The fuses fa, fb as described above must be blown by self-heating when a short-circuit current flows due to a short circuit between the first and second output terminals 111, 112, but they must not be blown when a normal load 110 is connected and a rated current flows.

However, there is a need to connect protective circuits U as described above in parallel to suit a wide range of rated currents is desirable.

Reference 101 in FIG. 11 represents a secondary battery device of a related art for the present invention, comprising multiple, for example, three protective circuits U1-U3 connected in parallel.

When a short circuit occurs between the first and second output terminals 111, 112 and a short-circuit current flows through the fuses fa, fb connected in series in each protective circuit U1-U3 in this layout, at least one of the fuses is blown.

However, it is unpredictable which of the two fuses fa, fb is blown, i.e., it cannot be determined whether the fuse fa on the side of the accumulator 105 or the fuse fb on the side of the first and second output terminals 111, 112 is blown.

FIG. 12 shows the fuses fa on the side of the accumulator 105 were blown in all the protective circuits U1-U3, and FIG. 13 shows the fuses fb on the side of the output terminal 111 were blown in all the protective circuits U1-U3.

If the fuses fa on the side of the accumulator 105 were blown in all the protective circuits U1-U3, as shown in FIG. 12, the positive output terminal of the accumulator 105 become completely disconnected so that the accumulator 105 stops discharging and the short-circuit current stops.

If the fuses fb on the side of the output terminal 111 were blown in all the protective circuits U1-U3, as shown in FIG. 13, the output terminal 111 is disconnected from all the protective circuits U1-U3 while the positive output terminal of the accumulator 105 is connected to only the switch element 104. In this case, the accumulator 105 stops discharging because the switch element 104 is not turned on.

As described above, the short-circuit current stops when all the counterparts of pairs of fuses fa, fb on either one side were blown in all the protective circuits U1-U3. However, if the fuse fb on the side of the output terminal 111 is blown in a protective circuit U1 and the fuse fa on the side of the accumulator 105 is blown in another protective circuit U2 as shown in FIG. 14, a residual current I101 continues to flow because the positive terminal of the accumulator 105 is connected to the output terminal 111 via the remaining fuse fa on the side of the accumulator 105, the remaining fuse fb on the side of the output terminal 111 and two heaters h.

This residual current I101 does not stop until the accumulator 105 completes discharging because this residual current I101 is a small current limited by the resistance values of two heaters h so that each heater h does not heat up enough to blow the remaining fuses fa, fb. Furthermore, the fuses fa, fb themselves do not heat up enough to be blown.

Table 1 below shows that the residual currents vary depending upon which of the two fuses, fa or fb, is broken. The residual current is zero when the fuses on the same side were broken, but in other cases, large residual currents of about 0.3 A flow.

TABLE 1 Measurement results Fuse Heater Blown After fuse blowing resistance resistance fuses *1 Blowing Residual Resistance value No (mΩ) (Ω) fa fb time (ms) current(A) *2 between ta and tb (Ω) 1 5.6 24.1 ◯ X 350 0.00 More than 1200 M 5.6 21.2 ◯ X (unmeasurable) 5.0 21.6 ◯ X 2 5.4 22.9 X ◯ 360 0.29 33.3 5.1 22.2 ◯ X 5.6 21.1 X ◯ 3 5.7 22.6 X ◯ 310 0.30 32.4 5.6 22.9 X ◯ 5.2 21.0 ◯ X *1: X . . . Blown  ◯ . . . Not blown *2: Current flowing between the output terminals after fuse blowing.

The various embodiments of the present invention were made to overcome the above disadvantages of the prior art with the purpose of providing a secondary battery device showing a small residual current after protective circuits have operated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To solve the problems described above, one embodiment of the present invention provides a secondary battery device comprising an accumulator, multiple protective circuits, and a first and a second output terminals, in which device:

    • each of the protective circuits includes two fuses connected in series to form a series circuit,
    • the series circuits of the two fuses are connected to each other in parallel, and
    • when an external circuit is connected to the first and second output terminals, a discharging current supplied from the accumulator to the external circuit and a charging current supplied from the external circuit to the accumulator flow through the two fuses of each of the series circuits;
    • wherein each of the protective circuits includes a heater one end of which is connected to a junction between the two fuses,
    • one end of a rectifier element is connected to the other end of each of the heaters,
    • the other end of each of the rectifier elements is connected to a switch element, and
    • when the switch element is turned on, a current flows through the heater of each of the protective circuits via the switch element and each of the rectifier elements.

Another embodiment of the present invention provides a secondary battery device comprising an accumulator, multiple protective circuits, and a first and a second output terminals, in which device:

    • each of the protective circuits includes two fuses connected in series to form a series circuit,
    • the series circuits of the two fuses are connected to each other in parallel, and
    • when an external circuit is connected to the first and second output terminals, a discharging current supplied from the accumulator to the external circuit and a charging current supplied from the external circuit to the accumulator flow through the two fuses of each of the series circuits;
    • wherein each of the protective circuits includes a heater one end of which is connected to a junction between the two fuses,
    • a switch element is connected to the other end of each of the heaters, and
    • when any one of the switch elements is turned on, a current flows through the heater of the protective circuit connected to the switch element via the switch element turned on.

Yet another embodiment of the present invention provides a secondary battery device comprising an accumulator, multiple protective circuits, and a first and a second output terminals, in which device:

    • each of the protective circuits includes two fuses connected in series to form a series circuit, and a heater one end of which is connected to a junction between the two fuses of the series circuit,
    • the other end of the heater of each of the protective circuits is connected to a switch element,
    • when the switch element is turned on, a current flows through the heater in each of the protective circuits via the switch element turned on, and
    • when an external circuit is connected to the first and second output terminals, a discharging current supplied from the accumulator to the external circuit and a charging current supplied from the external circuit to the accumulator flow through the two fuses of the series circuit in each of the multiple protective circuits;
    • wherein the junctions in the series circuits in the protective circuits are connected to each other.

Various embodiments of the present invention also provide the secondary battery device as defined above, wherein

    • when a current at or higher than a predetermined level flows through the heater connected to the two fuses of one of the series circuits, the two fuses are heated thereby at least one of the two fuses is blown.

One embodiment of the present invention also provides the secondary battery device as defined above, comprising a control circuit controlling the switch element, so that when the control circuit detects abnormality, the switch element is turned on.

According to the embodiments of the present invention as defined above, at least two rectifier elements are inserted into the current path connecting terminals of heaters of protective circuits, and at least one rectifier element is reverse-biased even if a voltage difference is generated between the terminals of the heaters of two protective circuits while a short-circuit current flows and one fuse is blown. Thus, no current flows from the terminal of the heater of one protective circuit into the terminal of the heater of the other protective circuit, and therefore, no residual current is generated.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the terminal of the heater of each protective circuit is connected to another circuit via a switch element. When fuses are blown by a short-circuit current, no current flows from the terminal of each heater to the another circuit if each switch element is kept turned off.

According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, the junctions between the fuses of the protective circuits are connected to each other, so that one or more fuses are connected in parallel to a current path including a heater unless all fuses connected in series on the side of the output terminal or the side of the accumulator are blown.

The resistance value in the fuses is very smaller than the resistance value in the heater, with the result that a short-circuit current flows to the fuses and all the fuses on the side of the output terminal or the side of the accumulator are blown, whereby no residual current flows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a secondary battery device according to a first example of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for illustrating the condition of the secondary battery device after fuse-blowing.

FIG. 3 shows a secondary battery device according to a second example of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for illustrating the condition of the secondary battery device after fuse-blowing.

FIG. 5 shows a secondary battery device according to a third example of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for illustrating a transient condition of the secondary battery device during fuse-blowing.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for illustrating the condition of the secondary battery device after fuse-blowing.

FIG. 8a is a schematic plan view of a protective circuit and FIG. 8b is a sectional view thereof.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for illustrating the principle of operation of a secondary battery device.

FIG. 10 is a diagram for illustrating the layout of a protective circuit.

FIG. 11 shows a secondary battery device in which multiple protective circuits are connected in parallel.

FIG. 12 shows the secondary battery device in which the fuses on the side of the accumulator have been blown.

FIG. 13 shows the secondary battery device in which the fuses on the side of the output terminals have been blown.

FIG. 14 is a diagram for illustrating a residual current flow when a protective circuit in which the fuse on the side of the accumulator has been blown and another protective circuit in which the fuse on the side of the output terminals has been blown exist together.

In the drawings, references 1-3 represent secondary batteries, reference 5 represents an accumulator, reference 10 represents an external circuit, reference 11 represents a first output terminal, reference 12 represents a second output terminal, references D1-D3 represent rectifier elements, references 4 and Sw1-Sw3 represent switch elements, references U1-U3 represent protective circuits, reference h represents a heater, references fa, fb represent fuses, references ra, rb represent resistance heating elements, and references ta, tb, tc represent terminals.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 includes a secondary battery device 1 according to one example of the present invention.

The secondary battery device 1 according to one example comprises all the components of the secondary battery device 101 described above, i.e., it comprises a switch element 4, an accumulator 5, a control circuit 6, a first and a second output terminals 11, 12, and multiple protective circuits U1-U3 in the same manner as the secondary battery device 101 described above. However, the secondary battery device 1 further comprises rectifier elements D1-D3.

Each protective circuit U1-U3 has the same internal configuration as shown in FIG. 10.

Each protective circuit U1-U3 comprises two fuses fa, fb connected in series. These two fuses fa, fb are connected in series to form a series circuit S.

The positive terminal of the accumulator 5 and the first output terminal 11 are connected to each other via the series circuits S of fuses fa, fb in multiple protective circuits U1-U3. That is, the series circuits S of two fuses fa, fb are connected in parallel to each other.

The accumulator 5 is chargeable/dischargeable, so that when it has not been charged and an external circuit 10 consisting of a DC voltage source is connected between the first and second output terminals 11, 12, the accumulator 5 becomes charged with a charging current supplied from the external circuit 10. The charging current flows through the fuses fa, fb in each protective circuit U1-U3.

In the alternative, when the accumulator 5 has already been charged and an external circuit 10 consisting of a load is connected between the first and second output terminals 11, 12, the accumulator 5 starts discharging and a discharging current is supplied to the external circuit 10. This discharging current also flows through the fuses fa, fb in each protective circuit U1-U3.

In each protective circuit U1-U3 a heater h is provided, one end of which is connected to a junction P between the fuses fa, fb.

The anode terminal of each rectifier element D1-D3 is connected to the other end tc of the heater h of each protective circuit U1-U3. The cathode terminal of each rectifier element D1-D3 is connected to the second output terminal 12 and the negative terminal of the accumulator 5 via the switch element 4. In one embodiment, Schottky diodes are used as the rectifier elements D1-D3.

Turning-on and turning-off the switch element 4 is controlled by a control circuit 6, so that the control circuit 6 turns on the switch element 4 when it detects abnormality such as overvoltage between the first and second terminals 11, 12.

Turning-on the switch element 4 allows the junction P in each protective circuit U1-U3 to be connected to the second output terminal 12 and to the negative terminal of the accumulator 5, respectively, via the heater h in each protective circuit U1-U3 and one rectifier element D1-D3.

When the switch element 4 is turned on, each rectifier element D1-D3 is forward-biased and a current is supplied to the heater h from the external circuit 10 or accumulator 5 because a positive voltage is applied to the junction P with respect to the second output terminal 12 and the negative terminal of the accumulator 5 that is at ground potential.

The heater h consists of a parallel circuit of two resistance heating elements ra, rb. Of the two resistance heating elements, one resistance heating element ra, is thermally coupled to one fuse fa. The other resistance heating element rb, is thermally coupled to the other fuse fb, whereby the resistance heating elements ra, rb in each protective circuit U1-U3 heat up under a current flowing through them and the two fuses fa, fb are blown by the heat.

When a short circuit occurs between the first and second output terminals 11, 12 and a large short-circuit current supplied from the accumulator 5 flows through the fuses fa, fb in each protective circuit U1-U3, at least one of the two fuses fa, fb is blown.

In the case of the secondary battery device 1 according to the first example, the terminals tc of the heaters h in protective circuits U1-U3 are connected to each other via two rectifier elements, among rectifier elements D1-D3, opposed to each other while one rectifier element among rectifier elements D1-D3 is reverse-biased even if a potential difference is generated between terminals tc.

Thus, even if a protective circuit U1 in which the fuse fb on the side of the output terminal 11 has been blown and another protective circuit U2 in which the fuse fa on the side of the accumulator 5 has been blown exist together as shown in FIG. 2, no current flows through the remaining fuses fa, fb because one rectifier element D2 is reverse-biased. Therefore, any residual current exceeding the leakage current from the rectifier element D2 does not flow between the protective circuits U1, U2.

FIG. 3 shows a secondary battery device 2 according to a second example of the present invention. The rectifier elements D1-D3 in the secondary battery device 1 according to the first example are replaced by the same number of switch elements Sw1-Sw3 as the number of protective circuits U1-U3. Here, n-channel MOSFET devices are used as the switch elements Sw1-Sw3.

Each switch element Sw1-Sw3 is connected at one end to a terminal tc of the heater h in each protective circuit U1-U3. Here, the switch element 4 in the first example described above is omitted and the other end of each switch element Sw1-Sw3 in the second example is directly connected to the second output terminal 12 and the negative terminal of the accumulator 5. Turning-on and turning-off each switch element Sw1-Sw3 is controlled by a control circuit 6.

This second example is otherwise identical to the secondary battery device 1 according to the first example. When the control circuit 6 detects overvoltage between the output terminals 11, 12, it turns on all switch elements Sw1-Sw3 to apply a current to the heater h in all the protective circuits U1-U3, thereby blowing two fuses fa, fb.

When a short circuit occurs between the first and second output terminals 11, 12, the control circuit 6 cannot detect abnormality and each switch element Sw1-Sw3 remains turned off.

In the secondary battery device 2 according to the second example, the terminal tc of the heater h in each protective circuit U1-U3 is connected to the second output terminal 12 and the negative terminal of the accumulator 5 via switch element Sw1-Sw3 and not connected to any other part.

Thus, any current exceeding the leakage current from the switch element Sw1-Sw3 does not flow through the heater h so far as the switch element Sw1-Sw3 is turned off. Even if any one of the two fuses fa, fb in each protective circuit U1-U3 is blown by a large short-circuit current during a short circuit so that a protective circuit U1 in which the fuse fb on the side of the output terminal 11 is blown, and another protective circuit U2 in which the fuse fa on the side of the accumulator 5 is blown, the fuses exist together in the secondary battery device 2, as shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 5 shows a secondary battery device 3 according to a third example of the present invention. This secondary battery device 3 is similar to the secondary battery circuit 101 except that the junctions P in the protective circuits U1-U3 are connected to each other.

This secondary battery device 3 operates in the same manner as the secondary battery device 101 and the secondary battery device 1 according to the first example described above when the control circuit 6 detects overvoltage and turns on the switch element 4.

When a short circuit occurs between the first and second output terminals 11, 12 and a large short-circuit current flows through the fuses fa, fb in each protective circuit U1-U3, any one of the fuses fa, fb in each protective circuit U1-U3 can be broken first. This condition is shown in FIG. 6.

Again, in the secondary battery device 3 according to the third example, no more current flows when the fuses fa on the side of the accumulator 5 are blown in all the protective circuits U1-U3 or the fuses fb on the side of the output terminal 11 are blown in all the protective circuits U1-U3. However, a transient current at the same level as that of the short-circuit current continues to flow when a protective circuit U1 in which the fuse fb on the side of the output terminal 11 has been blown and another protective circuit U2 in which the fuse fa on the side of the accumulator 5 has been blown exist together in the secondary battery device 3.

That is, when both fuses fa, fb remain, a transient current flows through the remaining fuses fa, fb in different protective circuits U1, U2 because the positive terminal of the accumulator 5 is connected to the first output terminal 11 via the remaining fuse fa on the side of the accumulator 5 and the remaining fuse fb on the side of the first output terminal 11. Reference I3 in FIG. 6 represents the transient current.

This transient current I3 does not pass through the heater h. Thus, it is as large as the short-circuit current. Therefore, at least one counterpart of the pair of fuses fa, fb through which this transient current flows are blown by self-heating. FIG. 7 shows the case in which the fuse fa on the side of the accumulator 5 were blown.

As long as the fuse fb on the side of the output terminal 11 remains in a protective circuit and the fuse fa on the side of the accumulator 5 remains in another protective circuit, the transient current I3 flows. Eventually, this transient current I3 blows all fuses fa on the side of the accumulator 5 or all fuses fb on the side of the output terminal 11 in protective circuits U1-U3, whereby the transient current I3 stops flowing.

In this condition, the residual current also stops flowing in the absence of any path connecting the positive terminal of the accumulator 5 and the first output terminal 11 because all fuses fa, fb on at least one side have been blown.

The configuration of the protective circuit U1-U3 is explained below with reference to FIG. 8a and FIG. 8b for illustrating a schematic layout thereof in planar and sectional view, respectively.

References 31-35 represent electrodes formed by printing an Ag—Pd paste and baking it at about 850° C. for approximately 30 minutes to form terminals ta, tb, tc, and a junction P, respectively.

Reference 41 represents a low-melting point metal foil (Sn:Sb=95:5, m.p. 240° C.) forming fuses fa, fb on the right and left, respectively of the fuse electrode 34.

Reference 42 represents a resistor forming resistance heating elements ra, rb formed by printing a resistive paste based on ruthenium oxide on the electrodes 31-34 and baking it. The resistance heating elements ra, rb have a resistance value of 5Ω.

Reference 40 in FIG. 8b represents an alumina ceramic base substrate having a thickness of 0.5 mm and dimensions of 5 mm×3 mm.

Then, a short circuit was created between the output terminals 11, 12 of the secondary battery devices 1-3 according the first to third examples embodiments described above and a current of about 100 A was passed through the series circuit S of fuses fa, fb to test whether or not the protective circuits U1-U3 properly operate. As a comparative example, the secondary battery device 101 was also tested for the operation of the protective circuit U by creating a short circuit between the output terminals 111, 112 and passing a current of about 100 A through the series circuit S of fuses fa, fb.

The test results are shown in Table 2 below. For each secondary battery device 1-3 and 101, the same types of fuses fa, fb and resistance heating elements ra, rb were used.

TABLE 2 Operational test results Fuse Heater Blown After fuse blowing resistance resistance fuses*1 Blowing Residual current Resistance value No (mΩ) (Ω) fa fb time (ms) after blowing(A) *2 between ta and tb (Ω) Comparative 5.5 21.3 X ◯ 330 0.30 33.3 example 5.6 21.9 ◯ X 5.5 20.9 ◯ X First 5.3 21.8 ◯ X 320 0.00 21.02 K*3 example 5.6 21.8 X ◯ (18 V applied, 5.6 21.5 X ◯ 0.856 mA) Second 5.2 23.2 ◯ X 340 0.00 23.17 K*3 example 5.3 22.0 X ◯ (18 V applied, 5.6 21.7 ◯ x 0.959 mA) Third 5.5 22.1 X X 400 0.00 Below current threshold example 5.3 23.0 ◯ X (18 V applied, 5.5 21.8 X X 0.000 mA) *1X . . . Blown  ◯ . . . Not blown *2Current flowing between the output terminals after fuse blowing. *3The resistance between ta and tb was calculated from the measured value of the current flowing under 18 V applied across terminals ta and tb.

In comparative example 1, a resistance component of about 33.3Ω remains and a residual current of 0.3 A flows between the terminals ta, tb.

In each example (first to third example), the resistance value exceeds 20 kΩ and the residual current is less than 1 mA. Especially in the third example, the highest reliability can be achieved because a fully open condition is established with no leakage current from the rectifier elements or switch elements.

The rectifier elements D1-D3 described above may consist of not only Schottky junction diodes but also pn-junction diodes.

The switch elements 4 and Sw1-Sw3 may consist of not only n-channel MOSFET devices but also other electrical or mechanical switches such as p-channel MOSFET devices, npn- or pnp-bipolar transistors and lead relays.

Accordingly, secondary battery devices can be obtained that show a small residual current after multiple protective circuits have operated.

Claims

1. A secondary battery device comprising an accumulator, multiple protective circuits, and a first and a second output terminals, in which device:

each of the protective circuits includes two fuses connected in series to form a series circuit,
the series circuits of the two fuses are connected to each other in parallel, and
when an external circuit is connected to the first and second output terminals, a discharging current supplied from the accumulator to the external circuit and a charging current supplied from the external circuit to the accumulator flow through the two fuses of each of the series circuits;
wherein each of the protective circuits includes a heater, and one end of each heater is connected to a junction between the two fuses,
one end of a rectifier element is connected to the other end of each heater,
the other end of each of the rectifier elements is connected to a switch element, and
when the switch element is turned on, a current flows through each of the rectifier elements, the heater of each of the protective circuits and the switch element which is turned on.

2. The secondary battery device according to claim 1, wherein when a current at or higher than a predetermined level flows through the heater connected to the two fuses of one of the series circuits, the two fuses are heated and thereby at least one of the two fuses is blown.

3. The secondary battery device according to claim 2, further comprising a control circuit controlling the switch element, so that when the control circuit detects an abnormality, the switch element is turned on.

4. The secondary battery device according to claim 1, further comprising a control circuit controlling the switch element, so that when the control circuit detects an abnormality, the switch element is turned on.

5. A secondary battery device comprising an accumulator, multiple protective circuits, and a first and a second output terminals, in which device:

each of the protective circuits includes two fuses connecting one end to each other at a junction and the fuses connected in series to form a series circuit, and a heater, one end of each heater is connected to the junction,
the other end of each heater is connected to a switch element,
when the switch element is turned on, a current flows through the heater in each of the protective circuits via the switch element that is turned on, and
when an external circuit is connected to the first and second output terminals, a discharging current supplied from the accumulator to the external circuit and a charging current supplied from the external circuit to the accumulator flow through the series circuit of the two fuses in each of the multiple protective circuits;
wherein the junctions in the series circuits in the protective circuits are connected to each other.

6. The secondary battery device according to claim 5, wherein when a current at or higher than a predetermined level flows through the heater connected to the two fuses of one of the series circuits, the two fuses are heated and thereby at least one of the two fuses is blown.

7. The secondary battery device according to claim 6, further comprising a control circuit controlling the switch element, so that when the control circuit detects an abnormality, the switch element is turned on.

8. The secondary battery device according to claim 5, further comprising a control circuit controlling the switch element, so that when the control circuit detects an abnormality, the switch element is turned on.

Referenced Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
6172482 January 9, 2001 Eguchi
6351361 February 26, 2002 Kawazu et al.
6420852 July 16, 2002 Sato
6456186 September 24, 2002 Oglesbee
20020014945 February 7, 2002 Furuuchi et al.
20020180453 December 5, 2002 Itoh
Foreign Patent Documents
0 982 826 March 2000 EP
0 982 830 March 2000 EP
1 047 092 October 2000 EP
1 156 527 November 2001 EP
A 2000-340267 December 2000 JP
Patent History
Patent number: 7333315
Type: Grant
Filed: May 31, 2005
Date of Patent: Feb 19, 2008
Patent Publication Number: 20050221164
Assignees: Sony Chemical & Information Device Corporation (Tokyo), Sony Corporation (Tokyo)
Inventors: Masami Kawazu (Kanuma), Hisaya Tamura (Kanuma), Yuji Furuuchi (Kanuma), Masahiro Matsuyoshi (Kanuma), Kazutaka Furuta (Kanuma)
Primary Examiner: Michael Sherry
Assistant Examiner: Scott Bauer
Attorney: Oliff & Berridge, PLC
Application Number: 11/139,599
Classifications
Current U.S. Class: With Fuse (361/104)
International Classification: H02H 5/04 (20060101);